An Investigation Into The Relationships Between The Different Writing Tasks In TEM And The English Proficiency Levels Of The Test-takers

The thesis is aimed at probing into the relationships between the different writing tasks in TEM4and TEM8and the English proficiency levels of the test-takers by means of a simulated test as well as the questionnaires. The simulated test is composed of the writing tasks in TEM4(the writing tasks in Section B and Section C) and TEM8(the writing task in Section A). Two groups of subjects are randomly sampled from the Foreign Language Department of Fujian Normal University, including32sophomores majoring in English (Group1) and26senior English majors (Group2), who were in preparation for TEM4and TEM8respectively then. The data collected from the simulated test are entered into SPSS and a One-way ANOVA is performed, which contributes to the following discoveries:(1) As for the test-takers’performances on the writing item in TEM8, the senior English majors perform better in terms of the average total score and the average sub-category scores. What’s more, the two groups of students are significantly distinguished from each other with reference to their performances on two of the sub-categories, including "ideas and arguments" and "mechanics".(2) In regard to the subjects’performances on the Composition item in TEM4, statistically speaking, the differences identified between the two groups of participants in either the average total score or the average sub-category scores don’t reach a significant level. However, the sophomores majoring in English perform slightly worse.(3) As regards the participants’ performances on the Note-writing item in TEM4, the two groups of students differ significantly from each other in terms of the average total score and the average sub-category scores for "form" and "contents". Surprisingly, the sophomores majoring in English not only obtain a significantly higher average total score but also perform strikingly better on both of the sub-categories. By comparison, the senior English majors only achieve a slightly higher average sub-category score for "language". And the data collected from the subjects’responses to the questionnaires further reveal the findings as follows:(1) With regard to the writing item in TEM8, it’s difficult for the English proficiency level of the sophomores majoring in English, the difficulty experienced by whom mainly lies in such aspects as the time allotment, the expected length in response and the contextual information presented in input. By comparison, it’s more appropriate for the English proficiency level of the senior English majors.(2)With reference to the writing task in TEM4, it’s appropriate for the English proficiency level of the sophomores majoring in English. However, no evidence is identified to suggest that it’s too easy for the English proficiency level of the senior English majors. Analyses are then carried out of the conclusions drawn above.